Information for Students

The Cardinal Core is an important part of your degree program. It provides an opportunity for you to build your foundational knowledge and portable skills by taking classes from a wide range of topics that complement and extend beyond your major(s).

These courses provide you with foundational knowledge and the necessary skills you will need not only to thrive at Ball State but also to prepare for fulfilling careers and meaningful lives beyond graduation.

Yes. We’ll work with you to make the transferring of course credits as seamless as possible. Learn more about Transferring Your Credits. Ball State’s 30-credit-hour Cardinal Core is aligned with the Indiana College Core (ICC), allowing for the transfer of ICC credits completed in high school or elsewhere. If you have completed the ICC Certificate, you will be credited as fulfilling your Cardinal Core requirements.

Each component (Foundations, Ways of Knowing, Research-based Writing, and Beneficence Themes) builds necessary skills and exposes you to various disciplinary approaches. You’ll take a total of 10 courses (30 credit hours) in the Cardinal Core.

• Foundational Intellectual Skills: 3 courses (9 cr.)
• Ways of Knowing: 3 courses (9 cr.)
• Research-Based Writing: 1 course (3 cr.) 
• Beneficence Themes: 3 courses (9 cr.)

You should work with your advisor to determine your Cardinal Core course options. You’ll want to balance Core courses with courses in your degree program. Additionally, some degree programs may suggest some specific Core courses, and your advisor can help you make those choices. Your Beneficence Theme choice can complement your personal and professional goals. The Beneficence Theme portion of the Cardinal Core offers you an opportunity to approach a topic from a variety of disciplinary perspectives. When choosing which Beneficence Theme to pursue, consider your areas of interest or a topic you would like to explore in more depth—for example, Innovation and Creativity, Global Connections, Social Responsibility, Sustainability, Being Human, Personal and Financial Wellness, or Honors in Practice.

No. You must select one Beneficence Theme to pursue and complete a course in each domain (Scientific, Social and Behavioral, and Humanistic and Artistic/Design) within that Beneficence Theme. However, you can take additional courses tied to the Cardinal Core as electives when your schedule allows.

You should work with your advisor to determine the schedule and timeline for completion of the Cardinal Core. You do not need to complete the Cardinal Core by the end of your first or second year. In fact, you could take one or two Cardinal Core courses each semester throughout your time at Ball State.

Yes, some Cardinal Core courses might overlap with major or minor requirements, depending on your program of study. You might even choose to add a major or minor because of a course you take as part of the Cardinal Core. Changing your major will not affect your Cardinal Core credits.

All courses will be offered annually. Work with your advisor to identify upcoming courses, as some may be offered only once per academic year while others may be offered every semester. You’ll have plenty of choices no matter how you want to complete your Cardinal Core requirements. Some Cardinal Core courses are available only in-person, while others are available in a variety of modalities and timeframes; in-person, online, hybrid, 15-wks., 7-wks., etc.